Existing naturally occurring liquid or gaseous fuels are based on hydrocarbon sources that are finite and produce large volumes of oxidation products that are deleterious to humans and the environment. Production of hydrogen from coal and steam or other hydrocarbons requires metallic catalysts, high pressures, high temperatures or combinations of these factors. These techniques require more energy from petroleum than they produce and do not reduce the hazards to health or the environment.
A number of techniques may be considered by which water may be dissociated in order to produce hydrogen that could be used as fuel. One such technique is electrolysis which is well known. Another well known method used to provide fuel for lamps involves the formation of hydrides such as occurs when water is added to calcium carbide to form calcium oxide and the highly flammable acetylene (a hydride of carbon).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,291 to Yamada discloses a process for producing hydrogen using solar light by irradiating an aqueous solution of viologen in the presence of a metal complex as catalyst.
The use of reactions discussed in the foregoing paragraphs for the production of hydrogen to be used as fuel requires that the hydrogen be collected and compressed for storage purposes. The hazards posed by storing compressed hydrogen are well known.
Studies in medical research, particulerly cancer research, have shown that free radicals, such as are generated in the process of cooking meat, have the ability to split complex molecules such as comprise the cells of animal tissue.
An appropriate introduction to a discussion of free radicals may begin by distinguishing between free atoms, radical ions and free radicals.
Atoms of sodium or chlorine which are highly reactive by virtue of an unpaired electron are referred to as "free atoms".
Radical ions are those inorganic chemicals that contain extra electrons such as hydrolyzed sulfuric acid (SO4.sup.--) or hydrolyzed sodium hydroxide (OH.sup.-).
A free radical is an atom or molecule that has one or more uncompensated (unpaired) electrons. The term is usually reserved for organic complexes such as the triaryl methyl type having large organic structures and longer lives than the unpaired electron of a single atom.
These uncompensated electrons exhibit magnetic properties that can be observed in a magnetic field, using a magnet and a radio frequency oscillator to cause signal variations in an output apparatus (electron spin resonance). Using this technique, it has been discovered that free radicals can be generated in a variety of compounds containing hydrogen and carbon by a number of methods. The list of compounds includes but is not limited to carbohydrates and hydrocarbons.
Carbohydrates are compounds that contain carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen in groups having the general formula Cx(H2O)y where x is equal to or greater than y.
Monosaccharides are carbohydrates with x=y.
Polysaccharides are carbohydrates wherein x&gt;y and are high molecular weight polymers of monosaccharides. Weak acids or enzymes can hydrolyze the polysaccharides to monosaccharides with different values of n. Polysaccharides are found in the cellulose of plants and trees.
Disaccharides are carbohydrates wherein x=y+2. Sucrose (common sugar) is a disaccharide composed of two forms of monosaccharides with n equal to 5 or 6.
Various methods for generating free radicals in carbohydrates, hydrocarbons and compounds generally containing carbon and hydrogen are listed as follows: